1. Field
Example embodiments relate to tunable photonic crystal color filters and/or color image display devices including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A color image display device generally includes an image panel for displaying gradients and color filters for applying colors thereto.
A reflective type color image display device displays colors via transmission or reflection using area-divided 3 color filters fixed in respective pixels. In case of displaying primary colors or colors similar to primary colors, such an area-divided color filter blocks lights corresponding to the other colors, and thus color loss is significant.
Furthermore, absorption type color filters are widely used in color image display devices. Here, an absorption type color filter only transmits lights corresponding to desired colors and absorbs lights corresponding to the other colors, and thus light loss is significant. Furthermore, if an absorption type color filter is used in a reflective type color image display device, it is necessary for a light to pass through a color filter twice due to the mechanism of the reflective type color image display device, light losses occur twice at the color filter, and thus it is difficult to display bright colors.
Therefore, color filters including photonic crystals which reflect lights corresponding to colors of a photonic band gap and transmit lights corresponding to the other colors are being researched to replace absorption type color filters.